Monday, April 6, 2009
News Union Plays Chicken With AT&T
Posted by Dominic Holden on Mon, Apr 6, 2009 at 12:25 PM
Nearly 100,000 AT&T employees let their contracts expire Saturday and—while they stay on the job—are now threatening to strike at any moment. The Communications Workers of America, the union representing AT&T’s programmers and technicians, claims the company’s vow to double health care costs and cut employees this year is unacceptable. They have rejected AT&T’s proposed contract and say the company has been slow to offer an alternative.
A few hundred of the employees are in Washington; a bulk of the Texas-based company's crew works in the southeast.
“This company is successful,” says Candice Johnson, a spokeswoman for CWA. “Demanding big cutbacks for workers doesn’t make sense.” She points out that AT&T stands to make substantial profits in 2009, but has meanwhile vowed to cut 12,000 jobs. “In these bad economic times, AT&T could be doing a lot to help the economy recover. Cutting jobs and benefits is not a way” to do that, she says.
Strategically, it’s unclear which side currently holds the upper hand. The poor economy gives AT&T the luxury of a rich pool of replacement employees and the potential to bust the union. On the other hand, the union’s workers could step off the job at an inopportune moment for AT&T.
“We are working without contracts and keeping the option open to pursue a strike when it makes sense,” says Johnson. “It could happen at any time.”
CWA continues to negotiate with AT&T, which has not replied to requests for comment.
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1
Kick some ass communication workers!
I'm looking to change my wireless provider and I'm sure as hell not gonna switch to AT&T unless they settle soon.
I'm looking to change my wireless provider and I'm sure as hell not gonna switch to AT&T unless they settle soon.
2
My brother works for them in TX, and is/was covered by this CWA contract. I'm not sure that it's AT&T's goal or purpose to "help the economy recover", I think they're more interested in maximizing profits. That's what's supposed to make the economy "healthy".
Of course, there are other theories.
Of course, there are other theories.
3
Strange, this is eerily reminiscent to a time when workers had some modicum of power in their workplace.
What's next, dragons!?!?
Rock fucking on.
What's next, dragons!?!?
Rock fucking on.
4
Corporations are going to use the economy to break the unions. Unemployment is high enough that there isn't a lack of people ready to take those jobs without being in a union. It sucks but it's true.
5
Busting the CWA would be a great victory for America in the fight against totalitarian socialism.
Unions are the greatest threat to freedom in America yet, and they must be stopped.
I still get a lump in my throat when I see video of President Reagan firing the PATCO thugs.
Honor labor! Bust unions!
Unions are the greatest threat to freedom in America yet, and they must be stopped.
I still get a lump in my throat when I see video of President Reagan firing the PATCO thugs.
Honor labor! Bust unions!
6
AT&T on a whole is successful, but the workers represented in these contracts are in the wireline division, which has declined 20% in the last three years. The wireless division is not unionized, went without a raise and are contributing a higher percentage of their salaries toward healthcare this year. For the wireline dinosaurs to demand their platinum-plated benefits at this point is ridiculous. Wireless and IP (Uverse, etc) basically subsidizes the wireline side.
7
AT&T is fully ready for the union to go on strike and will gladly endure the short-term pain for the long term cost savings. They have had a nationwide strike contigency plan in place for over a year and have been training every non-union employee for the past year to do a specific "strike duty" job to replace the strking workers and keep the essential functions of the company running.
The unions need to think twice about the wisdom of going out on strike in this economy. Their members likely will not gain in the long run (and certainly not in the short run) by stopping work (and thus stopping their pay) for days or weeks. The company has no incentive to do anything other than wring concessions, pay cuts, and benefits cost increases out of the union.
The unions need to think twice about the wisdom of going out on strike in this economy. Their members likely will not gain in the long run (and certainly not in the short run) by stopping work (and thus stopping their pay) for days or weeks. The company has no incentive to do anything other than wring concessions, pay cuts, and benefits cost increases out of the union.
8
What Banna said is spot on. Everyone should also know is that "management" is really just another word for "exempt" at at&t. Most "management" employees are individual contributors, not actual supervisors or executives. And they're on the front lines and busting their ass just as much as the union side while paying out the nose for worse health benefits.
9
Banna and laterite are good examples of how stupid the American worker is getting.
If the wireless workers and the "exempt" workers are so vital and doing most of the work, why don't they JOIN the union? Then maybe they wouldn't have to worry about paying more for their health insurance, and going without a raise. Has that really not occured to them?
Seriously, When did we start to get so dumb in this country?
If the wireless workers and the "exempt" workers are so vital and doing most of the work, why don't they JOIN the union? Then maybe they wouldn't have to worry about paying more for their health insurance, and going without a raise. Has that really not occured to them?
Seriously, When did we start to get so dumb in this country?
10
@1 CWA members of AT&T Mobility (the wireless side of the company) voted last Friday to ratify the new bargaining agreement which includes wage increases BELOW the average cost-of-living increases (so effectively a pay cut) and gutted the employee health care benefits. This article reports on the bargaining between AT&T Corporate workers (wireline).
@6 Exactly! Except that wireless workers (at least in Customer Service, technical, and billing depts) are Unionized through CWA and have been since AT&T Wireless was bought out by Cingular Wireless (which is now AT&T Mobility).
Verizon is actively engaged in Union busting. They are notorious for being anti-Union and they use considerable resources to prevent their workers from Unionizing. Verizon scoffs at labor laws and it's a disgrace.
T-Mobile (USA Division) is not Unionized--and they are headquartered in Factoria (or thereabouts). However, their parent company Deutchtelecom is one of the biggest Union employers in Europe. I am not aware of any Union busting by T-Mobile, but I'm also not aware of any efforts to mobilize their workforce to Unionize right now.
@6 Exactly! Except that wireless workers (at least in Customer Service, technical, and billing depts) are Unionized through CWA and have been since AT&T Wireless was bought out by Cingular Wireless (which is now AT&T Mobility).
Verizon is actively engaged in Union busting. They are notorious for being anti-Union and they use considerable resources to prevent their workers from Unionizing. Verizon scoffs at labor laws and it's a disgrace.
T-Mobile (USA Division) is not Unionized--and they are headquartered in Factoria (or thereabouts). However, their parent company Deutchtelecom is one of the biggest Union employers in Europe. I am not aware of any Union busting by T-Mobile, but I'm also not aware of any efforts to mobilize their workforce to Unionize right now.
11
@9: Right; the answer is to unionize everyone, a model that has worked so well, in say, the auto industry. The unions aren't 100% to blame, but in this case the allocation of resources is skewed toward an entrenched, entitled group in a dying business segment.
12
@9, all I was trying to say was that this isn't a simple "suits vs. workers" issue. As far as the Mobility union, that is only germane to the separately designated "Mobility" company under the at&t umbrella. There are lots of folks who are technically part of the mothership who directly support wireless.
13
All industries die off eventually.
With unions, the workers have it better until the industry dies.
Who the fuck wants to work in an auto factory or a telecom call center without the sort of benefits that only the unions have been able to secure from management?
With unions, the workers have it better until the industry dies.
Who the fuck wants to work in an auto factory or a telecom call center without the sort of benefits that only the unions have been able to secure from management?
15
Banna, did I, or anyone else, say everyone should be unionized? No. The point was that union membership tends to boost the lot of the rank and file, even in non-unionized companies, for they tend to have to match the pay and benefits of the union companies
You need to work on your reading comprehension. Actually, you'd be uniquely qualified for union membership - unfortunately, they'd probably end up having to protect your sorry ass.
laterite, I apologize for lumping you in with Banna. But I maintain that many people who consider themselves "management" are really nothing more than old-line supervisors, and are eligible for union representation.
You need to work on your reading comprehension. Actually, you'd be uniquely qualified for union membership - unfortunately, they'd probably end up having to protect your sorry ass.
laterite, I apologize for lumping you in with Banna. But I maintain that many people who consider themselves "management" are really nothing more than old-line supervisors, and are eligible for union representation.
16
the old wireline is how uverse gets to the customers prem. those as well as prem techs deserve a secure place in a company that proffitted 12.8 Billion in 2008.on the backs of said workers.if the company was not in the black then the union wouldnt have foot to stand on.but through the blood & sweat of the unions they are VERY successfull. as far as management they chose to leave the union & pay for there bennifits.
17
the wireline side that everyone keeps mentioning is the only part of the company that does it all. in the call center they take front line calls whether it be making a sale or fixing a problem... they save sells for someone wanting to cancel...they know & sell the uverse, Direct tv, and att wireless. in essence they do the jobs of 4 or 5 totally different people. If att had to pay 4-5 differnt people for all that work they would be paying more than what the 1 union person gets. so good wages & benefits is not too much to ask
18
wireline controls the cell site via t1 the uverse is brought to the house by copper the people inside sit in a room and take on massive amounts of responsibility. The union is there to protect us and aid us either through the grievence process or giving a worker a place to turn to when they have been wronged or need an explanation of what is going on its not all about money.
19
The union and non union workers are the only productive revenue producers in the company and face to face customer contact. If and when my 1st level supervisor all the way thru to the ceo are out or on vacation we are there ensuring our profits and good customer service. As we continue to make due with less and less on the craft end quality of service and value to our customers will decline. ( you get what you pay for)
If these large industries were really interested in cutting costs they could get rid of the fat at the top. noone is irreplaceable. Instead of giving away stocks and bonuses and perks to executive just to do the job their salary pays them to we could replace them with the secretary or executive vp under them who actually does their jobs. The saving would be incredible. Have any of you seen the huge list of over paid non producing executives in charge of redundancy for AT&T, GM, FORD, CHRYSLER etc. Some of their first year bonuses are worth more than my entire 30 year compensation including health care and pension. I do not believe they work that much more diligently than I do or are that much smarter than I am.They are just in the position thru proxy voting to elect themselve that compensation. We as stock holder even pay the taxes on there bonuses. That's right. When an executive negotiates a $ 10,000,000 bonus they get $10,000,000 . The taxes due are payed by the shareholders. My 1,000 bonus - taxes comes to around $633.00. NICE.
I fully understand that if you cannot measure it you cannot manage it , but the leadership at the top spend millions of dollars coming up with a new measuring system every four year since I have been here. Basically they are getting a new speedometer for a car and wondering why they cant go faster. Nothing has changed just the speedometer.
They try save money by not replacing a technician's broken tools or equipment ( that looks great on some executives excell spread sheet ). Then send a technician out at full pay and expenses without the tools and equipment to safely/ efficiently/properly service our customers. I do love the company , my career, and the hard working people I work with. I just hope that the management wakes up and realizes that for the company to increase revenue they need to take care of our copper and fiber network,and the folks at the bottom who have built / repaired / maintained our incredable network from the start. We are compensated well but the job demands/ expectations /and performance levels have increased and we are working harder than ever. Profits are up ! Why sould we get compensated less.
More...
If these large industries were really interested in cutting costs they could get rid of the fat at the top. noone is irreplaceable. Instead of giving away stocks and bonuses and perks to executive just to do the job their salary pays them to we could replace them with the secretary or executive vp under them who actually does their jobs. The saving would be incredible. Have any of you seen the huge list of over paid non producing executives in charge of redundancy for AT&T, GM, FORD, CHRYSLER etc. Some of their first year bonuses are worth more than my entire 30 year compensation including health care and pension. I do not believe they work that much more diligently than I do or are that much smarter than I am.They are just in the position thru proxy voting to elect themselve that compensation. We as stock holder even pay the taxes on there bonuses. That's right. When an executive negotiates a $ 10,000,000 bonus they get $10,000,000 . The taxes due are payed by the shareholders. My 1,000 bonus - taxes comes to around $633.00. NICE.
I fully understand that if you cannot measure it you cannot manage it , but the leadership at the top spend millions of dollars coming up with a new measuring system every four year since I have been here. Basically they are getting a new speedometer for a car and wondering why they cant go faster. Nothing has changed just the speedometer.
They try save money by not replacing a technician's broken tools or equipment ( that looks great on some executives excell spread sheet ). Then send a technician out at full pay and expenses without the tools and equipment to safely/ efficiently/properly service our customers. I do love the company , my career, and the hard working people I work with. I just hope that the management wakes up and realizes that for the company to increase revenue they need to take care of our copper and fiber network,and the folks at the bottom who have built / repaired / maintained our incredable network from the start. We are compensated well but the job demands/ expectations /and performance levels have increased and we are working harder than ever. Profits are up ! Why sould we get compensated less.
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